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Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

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Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#231

Post by brnt »

The_Colonel wrote: post #131
notnaut wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Smart people don’t like sex scenes?

I guess smart people visit porn sites when they want to watch some. For me it's just boring filler and I skip them.

> I guess smart people visit porn sites

I chuckled and thank you for the compliment!

Also: I agree. It's pretty much always a tedium. Now, American series almost always suffer from that: not just the sex scenes are used as filler, and could be replaced with a line or two suggesting the events if relevant. House of Cards is my go to example: just take the British original for how you can condense the story by a factor of 10 without any loss. Putting it that way: it'd be hilarious if a compression format would work this way.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#232

Post by immibis »

ericol wrote: post #184
mmsc wrote: post #71

> In both cases, she used sophisticated tradecraft that sought to leave no trace in databases accessible to European authorities. For instance, she booked her trips and bought her plane tickets using her Czech passport, registering only that nationality with the Greek airline. But upon crossing the Russian border, Šapošnikova used her secret Russian passport, thus bypassing the need to obtain a Russian visa issued to…

I think what this means is that she used her Czech passport when leaving a country, and used the Russian passport when entering Russia (Thus leaving no trace of her entering the EU as a Russian national). That's far from "sophisticated tradecaft" though. For instance a large % of Argentinians have double nationality (Myself included) and we do this all the time when travelling to Europe.

That's what any sane dual citizen would do. Use your Schengen country passport within Schengen and your home country passport when entering your home country. Maybe you wouldn't go to the lengths of using two different passports on one flight (you'd show your Russian passport when boarding a flight to Russia) but if you did, it wouldn't be that weird...

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#233

Post by sspiff »

aaronbrethorst wrote: post #9

This is my semi annual plug for all of you to watch the fantastic and somehow forgotten FX network TV show, The Americans, A spy drama set in Washington DC in the 1980s about KGB “illegals” posing as travel agents. It’s way better than any basic cable TV show had any right to be. Plus, all seasons are streaming on Hulu, so you don’t have to worry about whether the story will be completed. https://www.hulu.com/series/…

I second this. Of all the TV shows I've watched over the years, this is one is easily the one I've spent the most time thinking about, even long after I finished watching it.

While it has it's ebs and flows, it never got bad or dull for me.

And it contains a ton of details you might think is for dramatic effect or cinematography, but often it turned out to be based on actual practices, historic fact or just have a practical purpose for the characters.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#234

Post by axx8 »

mrbonner wrote: post #211
aaronbrethorst wrote: post #9

This is my semi annual plug for all of you to watch the fantastic and somehow forgotten FX network TV show, The Americans, A spy drama set in Washington DC in the 1980s about KGB “illegals” posing as travel agents. It’s way better than any basic cable TV show had any right to be. Plus, all seasons are streaming on Hulu, so you don’t have to worry about whether the story will be completed. https://www.hulu.com/series/…

In a side note: how do you check for the level of nudity/sex in a show or movie? I use the rating but I don’t find it provides enough finer grain: some R rated ones are OK to watch with my 13 year old but some have graphic sex scenes which I feel uncomfortable to watch together.

I don't know how accurate it is, but IMDb [1] will usually tell you exact episodes of inappropriate content. Individual episodes also have a parental guide, but it looks less used.

[1] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2149175/parentalguide

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#235

Post by brnt »

ivan_gammel wrote: post #196
captn3m0 wrote: post #52

> In both cases, she used sophisticated tradecraft that sought to leave no trace in databases accessible to European authorities. For instance, she booked her trips and bought her plane tickets using her Czech passport, registering only that nationality with the Greek airline. But upon crossing the Russian border, Šapošnikova used her secret Russian passport, thus bypassing the need to obtain a Russian visa issued to…

>They had to put the exit stamp on _something_? Are exit stamps a thing in Schengen area for EU citizens? I usually just pass an automatic gate after scanning the passport. It does not have any European marks. Stamp is historically a permission to leave, which EU citizens do not need: we are free to leave and return back.

As a European I've never had exit or entry stamps when leaving or entering the Union. The only stamps I ever got are from (some) non-EU countries.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#236

Post by simonbarker87 »

vlovich123 wrote: post #122
eej71 wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had initially ignored the show because they had cast Keri Russell which I had assumed to be a total light weight. So I missed it the first few years and then I realized after its fourth renewal - gee maybe its good - and well - I was completely wrong. She was amazing. The show was terrific. But I'm a sucker for 80s cold war dramatics.

Keri Russell a lightweight? I’m curious what gave you that impression as I’ve always thought of her as an excellent actress. Probably missing out on The Diplomat too if you like political intrigue at all.

Th Diplomat is excellent and she plays the role perfectly.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#237

Post by keybored »

sofixa wrote: post #166
keybored wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Since the invasion of Ukraine I think it's pretty clear to everyone involved (and many have been making it publicly and loudly clear) that appeasement doesn't work with Putin. When was Putin appeased?

The world sat idly when he invaded Georgia, Crimea, Donbass. When Russian agents sabotaged facilities over Central and Eastern Europe, murdered dissidents and civilians.

I’m not sure what the opposite of appeasement is in this context. A great power state invading/annexing/assisting a “separatist group” (whatever you want to call it) does not lead any direct escalation with another great power/superpower in this day and age. In turn I don’t understand how Putin has been getting appeased any more than other great powers.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#238

Post by [deleted] »

voltaireodactyl wrote: post #210
The_Colonel wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess smart people visit porn sites when they want to watch some. For me it's just boring filler and I skip them.

While we’re expressing opinions: in a show about navigating a partnership that accepts seduction as a necessary part of intelligence work (not solely of a romantic nature, but often), where the main characters are also being seduced by the capitalist lifestyle — I suspect some smart people might also view those less-clothed scenes as contributing (and even critical to) the underlying themes.

[deleted]

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#239

Post by krab »

thriftwy wrote: post #188
The_Colonel wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We already got to whataboutism and hypocrisy, no need to continue here.

But it was you who started it. You've attacked my identity by bringing up things that are not directly related to me. Then you complain about hypocricy. I've not asked you to assault me based on my ethnic identity.

I don't see any attack on ethnic identity. Supporting Russian imperialism doesn't have anything to do with ethnicity. If anything, such support only hurts the Russian nation. I'm talking not only about the current loss of life. For at least the next twenty years, the Russians will have much harder time doing business with EU/USA.

Such attitude has downgraded Russia in the world's eyes into an "armed gas station". I. e. can buy from them when they'll behave more or less, but don't expect to do any serious partnership.

Re: Husband and wife outed as GRU spies aiding bombings and poisonings across Europe

#240

Post by darksim905 »

mmsc wrote: post #69
captn3m0 wrote: post #52

> In both cases, she used sophisticated tradecraft that sought to leave no trace in databases accessible to European authorities. For instance, she booked her trips and bought her plane tickets using her Czech passport, registering only that nationality with the Greek airline. But upon crossing the Russian border, Šapošnikova used her secret Russian passport, thus bypassing the need to obtain a Russian visa issued to…

The airline only needs to be physically shown a passport which will get the person into the destination: they don’t record it. So you book with the Czech passport, go through border control with the Czech passport, then show the airline staff the Russian passport.

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